1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to sporting belts, and more specifically to a sporting belt apparatus designed for sumo wrestlers.
2. Description of the Art
The sport of sumo wrestling has been around for thousands of years. As a background, sumo wrestling involves two competitors confined within a circular area. The object of the sport is to push your opponent out of the ring or cause your opponent to touch the ground within the ring with any part of his body other than his feet. The only equipment worn by the sumo wrestler is a sumo belt.
The typical sumo belt known in the art consists of a segment of cloth approximately 30 feet in length. The cloth is folded lengthwise a number of times, passed between the legs, and then wrapped around the waist. The cloth is finally tied in a knot at the back of a wearer.
The belt of a sumo wrestler is often used as a means for controlling the opponent. A common technique in sumo wrestling is to gain a grip on the belt of an opponent and then lift the opponent out of the ring, or utilize the belt to throw the opponent to the ground. Thus, in sumo, a great amount of force is applied to the belt of a competitor.
For a more detailed description of sumo wrestling, the reader is referred to the text Sumo: A Pocket Guide by W. Long, chap. 3,7,8 (1989), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Traditional sumo belts have a number of problems. First, because sumo belts are attached to the wearer by a simple piece of cloth passing between the legs of a competitor, a great deal of force is applied through the cloth directly to the groin area of a wearer. Thus, the belt is uncomfortable to the wearer since any upward force on the belt is then concentrated along the strap between his legs. Additionally, the long cloth is time-consuming to attach to the wearer since it must be wrapped in a layered fashion and tied off in a knot at the back area. Also, with the belt simply tied in a knot, sumo belts have a tendency to come loose during a sumo match.
Another problem associated with sumo wrestling is the potential for injury. A common technique in sumo wrestling involves a quick forward lunge toward the opponent, and with the average sumo wrestler weighing in excess of 300 lbs., there is a great potential for injury to the hamstring, quadriceps, abdomen, and groin muscles. Thus, there is a need for providing support to these muscles for the sumo wrestler. The typical belt worn by the sumo wrestler, however, does not provide support to these areas.